Santa Clara County courts pilot program puts mental health cases on treatment fast track

ALTHOUGH SANTA CLARA COUNTY was one of the first in the nation to create a behavioral health court, criminal offenders with mental health and drug problems sit in jail for months before getting treatment. That could change this week.

County officials on Monday launched a pilot program with a separate court calendar that could fast-track defendants for mental health treatment as early as their arraignment hearing. This program could help reduce the time people sit in jail as they await guilty plea outcomes before options such as jail diversion or Mental Health Treatment Court become available.